


follow me in merry measure

by moons2stars



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, and a lot of detours, and banter because i can't help myself, and go on a road trip, and they were roommates because why not, because of Christmas, because they realize things, but also goes right, college age, in which they pine, that goes wrong a lot, there are bus rides, there is also a heaping amount of fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:53:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27872593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moons2stars/pseuds/moons2stars
Summary: Sweet Pea scoffs. “Tell me. Who are you taking home for Christmas?”“This is different. Betty is my childhood friend and we always spend the holidays together. This is nothing new.”“Exactly. You two have been acting like you've been in a relationship for years.”Jughead tries to come up with a counter argument-which he is usually good at but only succeeds in an exasperated sigh.“Listen, all I'm saying is to stop lying to yourself and tell her how you feel. I think the outcome would surprise you.”“I’m not sure how to.” He admits fiddling with the ribbon he has yet to tie on the gift.“You have a whole four-hour road trip to tell her. Now if you can excuse me I have to go listen to Betty’s unnecessarily long list of instructions regarding your cat.” Sweet Pea teases with a wink before exiting his room.Jughead sighs as he tucks the wrapped gift into his bag and zips it closed.This Christmas is definitely going to be interesting.Or, when Betty and Jughead go on a road trip to visit his family for Christmas, a few detours ensue.This is my secret santa gift to the wonderful catthecoder
Relationships: Betty Cooper & Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 16
Kudos: 32
Collections: 8th Bughead Fanfiction Awards - Nominees, Bughead Secret Santa





	follow me in merry measure

**Author's Note:**

  * For [catthecoder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/catthecoder/gifts).



> Hello all! 
> 
> A special thank you to the amazing ([kate_crumble](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kate_crumble/pseuds/kate_crumble)) for editing and helping me sound more coherent. I love you babes! 
> 
> And thank you to amazing ([easyluckyfree45](https://archiveofourown.org/users/easyluckyfree45/pseuds/easyluckyfree45))for giving me the idea for the gift and just being a wonderful human and helping me brainstorm!! You are amazing, darling! 
> 
> This is for the wonderful and talented ([catthecoder ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/catthecoder/pseuds/catthecoder)) ! I am so happy you are my giftee and I had a lot of fun reading all your answers to my asks and writing your prompt. The second and final chapter should be out in the next three days. I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Also a little disclaimer... I know nothing about cars or tires so I apologize for any inconsistencies or inaccuracy.

Jughead has always been indifferent to the holidays. He wouldn’t necessarily call himself a scrooge as he does enjoy the ambiance of the lights and Christmas trees. However, he is definitely not the type to act like everything is jolly and bright for the sake of the holiday season. In fact, the holidays usually bring more chaos with people visiting their families and rushing to get all of their holiday shopping in. 

Usually, Jughead opts out of both of those activities as he gets his very minimal shopping done online, and spends Christmas in his and Betty’s apartment. This Christmas however, will be spent with his parents so he also has to actually go out for his gift shopping as he has significantly more people to shop for and less time to do it thanks to his need to procrastinate simple tasks until they become difficult. 

Two weeks prior, his dad had called him and asked him if he could come to visit him for Christmas as his mom would also be there along with Jellybean. Jughead was reluctant at first because his parents rarely got along or were ever in the same room, but he didn’t want to leave Jellybean alone in that situation. 

At first, he had also been disappointed that he wouldn’t get to spend his Christmas with Betty; eating take-out while watching old classics. But Betty, sensing his added distress for the upcoming holiday, offered to accompany him to which he was eternally grateful for as her presence never ceased to calm him yet he was also reluctant to drag her into his family situation. She had insisted she wouldn’t mind coming if he and his family didn't mind. They were happy to have her as was he. 

She was always fantastic at navigating awkward situations and breaking the ice which was definitely needed with his family. Jughead was also happy he wouldn’t have to sacrifice his holiday with her.

With that, the only thing he had to worry about was getting his Christmas shopping done. Of course, he chooses the day before Christmas eve and hours before their road trip to his parent’s house in Toledo to do his errands which is not the smartest choice he could have made. For one thing, it’s freezing out and snow is coming down in generous amounts. Not to mention, the stores are filled with people rushing to get their holiday shopping done much like him. 

Though it’s worth it because he not only succeeded in getting his holiday shopping done but is now in possession of a gift he has been wanting to give for years but was never able to find. He had finally found a seller 

When he walks into their apartment, he is greeted with warmth and the welcoming smell of the gingerbread scented candle Betty always insists on burning. It’s near to the bottom and doesn’t have much wick left, but she is adamant about their apartment smelling nice.

Jughead drops all of his bags and breathes a sigh of relief about finally being away from the holiday lunacy. 

She giggles at the sight of snow in his hair contrasting his deep scowl. “Someone did some shopping.” 

Jughead scoffs as he runs his hand through his hair and shakes through it roughly to get the snow starting to melt off. “Hardly made it back in one piece, but yes.” 

Betty rolls her eyes at his dramatics, but her lips pull into a smug grin. Jughead holds his finger up in warning as he already knows she wants to declare that she advised him to get his shopping done sooner. “Don’t you dare say it.”

“I wasn’t going to.” She says with her arms up in surrender, struggling to stifle a laugh.

“You were thinking it though.” 

She spares him another teasing smile before padding over to the couch where her bag for the trip is laying open. The sight reminds him that he still needs to finish packing as he procrastinated that as well which makes him feel mildly ashamed that Betty is more prepared for his parents' house than he is, though Betty has always been known for her readiness in any situation. 

“Did you get what you needed?” She asks as she rummages through her bag, taking inventory of what she has packed to ensure she isn’t forgetting anything.

He uses her preoccupied gaze to take another look in the paper bag he had been clutching to the inside of his jacket to ensure it’s content was protected from the harsh weather, sighing in relief when the delicate binding is still intact. 

“What are you holding?” Betty’s voice chimes in directly behind him. He almost drops the bag with the very delicate gift but manages to catch it though he can’t seem to catch his breath from having quite a scare.

“Nothing!” 

“Okay?” she drawls eying him skeptically trying to peek behind him to which he shifts to block her view.

“Sorry. You just scared me, Betts. You walk so quietly.” He curses himself for not taking her socked feet on their wooden floors into account along with her usual light footsteps.

“Why are you acting so dodgy?” She asks as she arches one of her brows up in skeptical curiosity. 

“I am not dodgy. Why are you being so nosy?” He counters, hoping she’ll drop it.

“Because you always love to tease me about being a bad liar when you don’t have much of a poker face yourself.” 

“You are a very bad liar, Betts.” Jughead reasons with a smile pulling at his lips. 

She scoffs. “You are in no room to talk.”

“Don’t you have to finish packing?” He quips, straightening his posture in a mock challenge. 

“I just finished. Don’t you have to finish packing?” She counters as she pokes her index finger to his chest for emphasis, not taking into account how close she is to him. 

Betty is so close to him at this moment that he can smell the vanilla notes of her perfume. Without really thinking about it, his eyes dart to her lips and then he looks back up and catches her green eyes doing the same. It would be so easy to lean in and press his lips to hers. This is not the first time he has thought about kissing her or the first chance he’s been presented with. 

The dynamic between him and Betty is complicated, to say the least. They’ve been best friends since kindergarten, and have been there for each other throughout every stage in their lives. 

Deciding to live with Betty was not a hard decision. Getting an apartment together just made sense as they were both full-time students with similar schedules and were compatible in many different respects. 

Throughout the course of their friendship, there had been many times when moments had the potential to turn into something more than something shared between _just_ friends. Though it never did. It’s not that Jughead didn’t want it as he wanted nothing more than to tell her how he felt, but he also has no idea how to even articulate into words that he feels are worthy enough to describe his feelings for Betty which is ironic considering he prides himself on being a writer. She had always inspired him and supported his writing and creative endeavors, but what he felt for Betty was hard to express without that fear of them becoming a burden between them.

Jughead always hated this tug of war he had with himself. His thoughts always contrast one another and it hinders him from finding a solid logical stance. He often goes with what he thinks is logical rather than feelings based as emotions are often unreliable and they can change at any given moment. He isn’t very fond of change which is why he is so afraid of things changing between him and Betty. He had been friends with her almost his whole life 

With great restraint, Jughead manages to take a step backward. He glances down at his shoes and then up at Betty and he thinks he can see a flash of disappointment that paints her face. He doesn’t give it much thought as he refuses to give himself any hope that she has feelings for him like he has for her. 

“I probably should go finish packing.” He says awkwardly to which Betty timidly nods her head and steps out of his way.

\--

When Jughead enters his room with bags in hand, he breathes a heavy sigh and drops all of the cargo onto his floor. He doesn’t like feeling like he shut Betty down, and he can’t seem to ignore the hint of disappointment on her face. Though the more logical side of him argues that he was looking too far into things and she was probably just perplexed by his strange behavior. 

He breathes a heavy sigh and pulls the package and places it onto his bed then retrieves the roll of wrapping paper (he’s only used it once in the three years of owning it) from his closet. Rolling the paper out on his bed, and grabbing the 

“What are you wrapping?” A familiar voice that is definitely not Betty startles him as he didn’t hear anyone come into his room, too enthralled in his thoughts. 

He turns around to see his other best friend who he met freshman year of college at orientation, Sweet Pea. “What is with people sneaking up on me today and what are you doing here?”

“Betty let me in, and I figured I'd come to bother you while you packed.” He says as he plops on Jughead’s bed and kicks his shoes off. 

“Why?” Jughead huffs in annoyance though more at the fact he had been spooked twice in the same day. He should have remembered that Sweet Pea was taking care of Betty’s cat Caramel while they were away, but time just escaped from him. 

“Because it’s fun and I’m bored.” He says simply leaning back into his mattress. “Plus I am watching your cat so I should have access to your room too.”

“Betty’s cat.” He corrects.

When they moved into their apartment a little over a year ago, Betty had insisted they get a cat as she had always wanted one and they make perfect companions. Jughead didn’t necessarily agree as he much preferred dogs as cats took over everything. That didn’t stop Betty from trying to convince him every day and led to their normal bickering. A few weeks later, Betty had found a stray cat in the cold and insisted they kept her. Jughead could never deny her (though he did love trying even if he always caves) and something about finding that cat felt like fate so he agreed.

Though that didn’t mean Caramel was his cat even if he had grown rather fond of the orange-haired tabby. 

“Nope. Definitely your joint cat with Betty.” He argues.“You never told me what you were holding by the way.”

“It’s nothing.” Jughead dismisses as shields the item in question by turning his back away though he isn’t quite sure why as the gift isn’t for Sweet Pea. It feels almost too personal to share as he had been looking forward to giving this to Betty for years. However, it doesn’t matter because Sweet Pea snatches the gift out of his hand. 

“This is nice, dude, and first edition.” He says in awe as he turns it over.“Who is this for?”

“Betty.” Jughead answers to which Sweet Pea chuckles as he rolls his eyes. “What?”

“Of course. I should’ve known. This just further proves my point that you two are way more than friends.” Sweet Pea says as Jughead snatches the book back and places it back on the wrapping paper. He’s not the best at wrapping, but he wants to make an effort to make his wrapping somewhat presentable. 

“How many times do I have to explain this to you? We are just friends who are roommates.” Jughead says, exasperated from this tedious conversation he has had many times with Sweet Pea in the past. 

“Your words are saying one thing but your actions tell a completely different story.” 

“She likes books and this is her favorite author. It’s called a thoughtful gift. Ever given one?” Jughead snarks as he folds the paper neatly. 

Sweet Pea scoffs. “Tell me. Who are you taking home for Christmas?” 

“This is different. Betty is my childhood friend and we always spend the holidays together. This is nothing new.”

“Exactly. You two have been acting like you've been in a relationship for years.” 

Jughead tries to come up with a counter argument-which he is usually good at but only succeeds in an exasperated sigh. 

“Listen, all I'm saying is to stop lying to yourself and tell her how you feel. I think the outcome would surprise you.”

The truth is that there is actually very little reason if any on why he shouldn’t tell Betty how he feels. It’s not that However, there always seems to be a whisper of doubt lingering in his head that always hinders him from doing so, telling him that he’ll ruin the best relationship in his life, the one that he cares about the most. He would rather play it safe and be constantly doomed to teeter that edge between friendship and something more than to lose Betty all together. 

“I’m not sure how to.” He admits.

“You have a whole four-hour road trip to tell her. Now if you can excuse me I have to go listen to Betty’s unnecessarily long list of instructions regarding your cat.” Sweet Pea teases with a wink before exiting his room. 

Jughead sighs as he tucks the wrapped gift into his bag and zips it closed.

This Christmas is definitely going to be interesting. 

\--

The passing scenery of the snowy roads and forest out of the passenger side window should be soothing, but instead, all Jughead feels is a weird sense of uneasiness in his gut. Ever since their moment in their apartment, the air between him and Betty has been off, to say the least, and it’s definitely his doing. He’s making things more complicated than they need to be while Betty tries to diffuse the tension as always. 

This trip is his chance to finally tell Betty how he feels and he can’t blow it this time. He can’t overthink this or he’ll chicken out. 

No time like the present his brain supplies, and before he can talk himself out of it, he breaks the silence.

“Hey, Betty.” 

“Yeah?” She asks as she glances over to him.

He takes a deep breath, trying to figure out how to approach this, and decides to just cut to the chase.

“There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you something for quite a long time and-”

His words are interrupted when a loud thumping sound from the tires accompanied by the car starting to stutter in movement. Despite the momentary look of panic on her face, Betty remains calm and does exactly what the situation calls true to her usual fashion and gets them safely off to the side of the road.  
  


“Are you okay?” Jughead asks as soon as he is able to get his bearings together.

“Yeah,” Betty says panting with wide eyes. Her calm demeanor seems to have faded, and she looks much more frantic as she has a death grip on the steering wheel. He wants nothing more than to ease her hand with his but now doesn’t seem to be the time. “Are you?”

Jughead nods as he exhales a shaky breath. “What happened?”

“To take an educated guess. I think a tire just blew out.”

Upon further inspection, not one but two tires were blown out and of course, there was only one spare.

This was certainly an unexpected turn of events.

_tbc_

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! The next chapter will be in Betty's pov and we'll see more mutual pining and what Jug's gift :)


End file.
